Running a small business can be daunting, especially when you intend to maintain a healthy bottom line. Add that to the hassle of managing office essentials and excess inventory; you’ve already taken away the excitement of running a business. That said, it’s easy for any business environment to accumulate clutter.
The office area can get messy, which invariably decreases productivity and efficiency. As a result, lack of adequate storage is a significant concern for small business owners. Not to worry, here are five storage tips for small businesses.
1. Rent a self-storage unit.
Contrary to popular belief, self-storage spaces aren’t solely for storing personal belongings. Businesses can also use the extra space to store decommissioned office appliances, excess inventory, necessary paperwork, and office supplies. The bottom line is that you should haul anything you don’t need right now to a self-storage location.
Finding the perfect storage unit for your business isn’t exactly rocket science, but it can be daunting. Are you looking for a self-storage facility? If yes, input the keyword “cheapest storage near me,” and you likely find viable and affordable facilities near you.
Note that; when looking for a storage unit company, opt for one that’s safe and secure. In addition, choose a facility that offers many storage options like units with climate control, boat storage, and vehicle storage. The upside to choosing a climate-controlled unit is that your belongings won’t be affected by humidity, mold, mildew, or extreme heat. Also, ensure the storage company offers different storage unit sizes to prevent a situation where you have to rent extra space storage. Furthermore, check for their self-storage prices to find one that offers the lowest price to suit your budget.
2. Try not to jam-pack items in one place.
You shouldn’t leave excess inventory and office items lying around the office. Moreover, these items can collect fine particles like dust, pet dander, mold, and dust mites which ultimately poses a significant health risk for you and your staff. Just so you know, these air pollutants can stay hidden in the air for long periods. Furthermore, jam-packing items can prevent light from entering the office and may likely cause poor ventilation. That said, try not to keep items in closely packed areas in your office.
3. Consider vertical storage.
If you’ve run out of floor space at your office or storage location, vertical storage seems like your best option. This form of storage allows you to judiciously make use of every available space without cluttering your office. For example, pallet racks are some of the best vertical storage solutions since they don’t occupy space. Also, consider using the walls to store items. Besides, you can safely store many items taking up floor space on a shelf on your office wall.
4. Don’t forget your cloud storage.
Storage problems aren’t exclusively reserved for businesses that deal with physical goods. Paperwork takes up a lot of space and can become a big clutter in your office in no time. Sadly, many small businesses don’t have the overhead for storage maintenance costs. The good news is that cloud storage is a cost-effective solution. You can safely store all your data online without worrying about burglars stealing company files. Besides, it’s both insecure and expensive to keep data onsite.
No doubt, cloud storage offers a viable alternative to hard drives, thumb drives, and memory cards, considering that mobile devices and computers can easily get damaged or lost. More so, you need to be near the device or computer to access the stored data. On the other hand, cloud storage guarantees peace of mind and removes the hassle of local server maintenance.
5. Declutter your office.
Like with most things in life, the best solutions are usually the simplest ones. You may need to consider decluttering your office area. You’d find out that there are many obsolete items occupying space in your office. So, ensure you get rid of all the items you don’t need, especially those not worth giving out.
Before trashing any item, check to see if there’s a way of repurposing it for use elsewhere. For example, you can drop off recyclable items at recycling centers close to your office. Meanwhile, it would be best if you considered reselling the ones with good resale value. Better still, you can give them out to your staff or charities. You also have the option of selling them online to get some cash value for the items.
